Attract the Best Candidates with the Quality of Your Executive Leadership

Did you hear the story about the company where everyone had worked hard and well, systems were in place, teams were aligned, and the opportunity for big new business — game-changing business — was just ahead? All they needed was a couple of key hires, but finding the right people was taking so . . . so . . . so . . . long.

Hiring the right people is a magical combination of art and skill that starts with attracting those folks. And in today’s job market, candidates want to know everything they can about a company before they even step in for an interview.?

They check out your company’s LinkedIn page. But did you realize they are also looking at your profile (as the CEO), and the hiring manager’s profile too?

With LinkedIn, you can attract top tech talent faster when your personal online presence speaks to what potential hires care about. No matter what position or seniority level you are hiring for — C-suite execs, VPs, sales executives, engineers, developers, or other technical team members — you can use LinkedIn’s features to showcase your company’s values, operations, and culture to attract the candidates that are a good fit — faster.

Mission

Of course, any candidate for a C-suite position will carefully consider the company’s mission and values because they will be directly responsible for helping to shape and execute the company’s strategy.?

But don’t rule out how interested other job candidates may be in those same topics.?A 2022?Qualtrics survey ?found that?56% of US employees wouldn’t even consider a job at a company that has values they disagree with. On the other hand, almost the same percentage (54%) would be willing to take a pay cut to work at a company with better values.?

You’ll want to maintain a dynamic company page on LinkedIn. As the company, regularly post about your mission and how you are fulfilling it — how are you changing the world, helping customers find solutions, and winning beyond your ROI and revenue numbers?

Then reinforce what candidates see on the company page by telling the story in your own words, on your personal LinkedIn page:

• When the company posts, comment or share the post. And use your comment to bring the focus back to your mission. The more you repeat it, the more it confirms your commitment and the deeper it sinks in for your audience.
• Share your own company stories, both about customers and employees.?
• Use personal stories to show that you live your mission.

Leadership

People want to know about the people they work for. It’s as simple as that.?

Are you trustworthy—as in, can I trust my future with your leadership? Are you smart, innovative, respected as a thought leader? Do you care about your team? LinkedIn lets you start answering all those questions before you meet someone. Here’s how:

• Profiles:?Highlight the backgrounds, experience, and leadership styles of the company’s top executives.
• Blogs:?Share thoughts, insights, and perspectives from the company’s leaders on current industry trends and thought-provoking topics.
• Posts:?Share behind-the-scenes glimpses into the daily life of the company’s leadership, such as their day-to-day routines or personal interests.

Operations

What’s it like to work at your company? Showcase your operations on LinkedIn by posting content that provides insight into your processes, products, and services — without divulging any competitive advantages, of course. Include:

• Share videos or images that demonstrate how the company’s products work and their benefits.
• Highlight the company’s unique processes, methodology, and innovations.
• Post behind-the-scenes looks at the company’s offices or your remote-first culture.?
• Post stories from employees who work in implementation or support, and how they contribute to the company’s success.

Culture

When you create transparency into your culture on LinkedIn, you attract people who are a good fit — and easily weed out those who are not. But be warned: Successfully talking about culture on social media demands a “walk the talk” proposition. You must authentically reflect what really happens in your company — not what you think people want to hear or an idealized version of what you wish the culture was.

LinkedIn can help you communicate your culture:

• Share stories that showcase the company’s values and the way they are brought to life in day-to-day work.
• Know your employees well enough to publicly celebrate their individual professional wins, too (when appropriate). Did your company invest in someone’s continuing education and now they are graduating? Did someone just earn important certifications??
• Share how your company as a whole — or individuals — serves the community or the country or the world outside of daily operations. Are you going green in a new way? Has your team supported a nonprofit, helped fill a community need, or contributed to a cause? Post about the steps and the wins.
• And share the fun stuff, too! Celebrations, outings, sports, staff lunch, or Zoom happy hour — these posts tell the world what working for your company is like.?

Work Location & Flexibility

You can’t talk about hiring in 2023 without discussing all the location options—in-office, remote, hybrid, and all the variations of them. It’s part of your company culture, but it’s so much more these days. How flexible is your company when it comes to where and when people work? If you have a brick-and-mortar building, what’s it like to be there? Do you have great amenities??

Job candidates want to know as much as they can before they say yes (or no), so build a LinkedIn presence that showcases work life at your company:

• If your team is working at the office, post photos and videos of employees enjoying the office amenities, such as ergonomic workspaces, wellness rooms, and recreational areas.
• Highlight how you support remote work, including the tools and resources provided to support remote workers and keep them connected.
• Share stories from employees about how the company’s flexible policies have positively impacted their work-life balance.

Take Advantage of What LinkedIn Has Created

LinkedIn is the go-to destination for job seekers—and for good reason. Make its many features work for you. Go beyond posting jobs to promote one of the key reasons people choose an employer—the quality of your executive leadership.

If you’re ready to take your leadership brands to the next level, our team is here to help. We’d love to discuss how to implement the solutions above or customize their use for you.?Contact me?on, at?[email protected] , or?book a quick call ?to see how we can assist you in reaching your hiring goals.